Rum and Whiskey
by funkified beans
Summary: A story of greed and ego, trust and dreams, betrayal and deceit, life and death, and breaking all the rules to make your own. (A bit of JOC)
1. Light in the Dark

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I don't pretend to own anything, I'm using this stuff without permission just for the amusement of anyone that reads this. Don't sue me.  
  
In the dark, the Black Pearl was making good time toward a ship that was no longer on the horizon and not all too far away anymore, and the entirety of the crew, including Cotton the mute and the odd bird on his shoulder, were feeling the anticipation that comes before a raid, especially one in the dark in the middle of the Caribbean Sea where there's lots of sharks and nobody else around for miles and miles. And there at the helm of his beautiful, ethereal Pearl was none other than Captain Jack Sparrow, who was right at that moment grinning quite contently and peering in the dark at his compass that doesn't point north, steering them to their prize, the Pearl smoothly parting the black waves with only the dimmed, sleepy stars in the sky to shed light on her course.  
  
And in the crow's nest of the other ship, a young boy sat with a spyglass clasped in his bony fingers, glancing out to sea now and then but mostly nodding off and waking himself back up again so as not to start rolling and go right over the edge. Below decks, a great deal of the crewmen were gathered around a table playing poker, bottles of liquor in their hands, shouting and swearing and having quite a good time. In the midst of them sat a woman, her unkempt, knotted dark hair casting shadows on her face in the flickering candlelight. In her hand was a bottle of whiskey that she wasn't drinking, save for small sips every now and again, because she didn't feel it was necessary to get drunk and gamble away any money she may have been able to save so far to the rest of the crew. In fact, she decided, glancing at the table, she'd better stop now before she did just that.  
  
The ship creaked beneath her feet as she reached the starboard side of the quarterdeck, curling her fingers over the rail and leaning out to let the wind push her hair out of her face and pull on her sleeves. She closed her eyes, letting it wash over her like the sea itself. The moon was gone tonight, and wispy clouds were spread thinly over the stars, dulling their shine. The obsidian sea merged with the velvet sky almost seamlessly at the horizon, creating a fluid cover of black.  
  
And then there was a light.  
  
Next chapter will be longer, this is just the beginning. Don't forget to review! 


	2. Fateful Night

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I don't pretend to own anything, I'm using this stuff without permission just for the amusement of anyone that reads this. Don't sue me.  
  
(End of last chapter: And then there was a light.)  
  
It was only a flicker, really, but that was enough. Squinting, she leaned forward a little more and tried to see exactly what was happening. A moment later there was another. This time she knew. She started for the crow's nest.  
  
On the Black Pearl, a crewman fumbled to cover the lantern back up. His struggle was put to an end as Anamaria took both it and the cloth that was supposed to be shielding it from view from his hands and, moving the cover so it would conceal the flame, and swiftly tossed it overboard. "Be careful," she hissed at him in irritation, glancing toward the other ship anxiously. It remained silent, moving only with the gentle rolling of the waves.  
  
"Captain!"  
  
A door opened and the woman strode in. "Barringer," she said, coming to a stop in front of the rickety table where the grizzled old captain sat, maps and papers strewn about and a bottle of liquor half sloshed onto things, "It's the Black Pearl." She didn't need to say more. The captain sat up quickly, upsetting the table and the bottle, his chair clattering on the twisted planks. "Here." She pulled a large, ornate sword from its decorative place on the wall and tossed it to him. He caught it deftly and nodded to her.  
  
"Get the men, Kit," he ordered, pulling a belt loaded with pistols and knives around his waist as he spoke. She nodded, pretending to check her belt for her own weapons. Instead her hand passed over the maps laid out on the table, sifting silently through papers until she found the one she was looking for. She quickly pocketed it, took a sip from the bottle, and headed for the deck.  
  
The Pearl wasn't far away now. If she really looked, she could see the faint outline of the black sails against the black sky. She quickened her pace, throwing open the hatch and clattering down the short ladder. "The Black Pearl's out there!" she shouted, pushing the door open and disrupting the poker game. The men cheered drunkenly. Kit shook her head as she stepped over an unconscious sailor that was blocking the way to her hammock. They didn't stand a chance, not like this. She sighed and kneeled down on the swaying bed, reaching up into the wooden supports, and ran her fingers over the musty, splintering wood until they came across something soft. Removing the small sack, she peeked inside to make sure nothing was missing before fastening it to her belt with a large knot. Glancing around the room as she stood up from the hammock, she caught sight of a grappling hook near the door.  
  
They would never make it, she knew. There was no way for these men to win this fight. Why should she die with them? Had they ever treated her well enough for that? What loyalty did she have to any of them, anyway?  
  
None, she decided, picking up the coiled rope and testing the weight of the rusty hook at the end. It would do. She glanced at the drunks behind her, almost feeling sorry for them for a fleeting moment. They had no idea what they were up against, but then, when in life did anyone? They were pirates, she reminded herself, this was what they chose. Tossing the coil over her shoulder, she pushed past a few more men and headed for the deck.  
  
The Pearl slid silently into place next to the other ship, the crew waiting in tense anticipation. Tonight was the night they had been waiting for for months, ever since word first got out that the single most important piece of paper in the Caribbean was on this ship. Not many had believed it, at least not enough to invest the time and money to go looking; the Viper was a small, old ship, not exactly fast, and without enough guns to cause much damage to an opponent without sustaining more than that itself. A bucket of junk, in essence. Who would believe that the way to a famous, tirelessly hunted treasure would be through this?  
  
Well, Jack Sparrow did. And he had been quite sure that nobody else would be chasing after this ship, which was surely no place to house such a valuable map, or anything at all for that matter, valuable or not. It looked, he noted with a bit of a grin, as if it would simply collapse into a pile of rotting timber at any moment. Nonetheless, the crew was already assembled on the deck, looking determined despite the obvious fact that they could not win. Jack grinned again and took the last step down from the quarterdeck.  
  
Alongside the stern of the Viper, Kit moved leaned slowly out of the shadows and pulled the paper from her pocket. In the dim light she read the numbers, repeating them to herself a few times so she wouldn't forget, and tore up the paper before tossing it into the inky sea. Whispering the numbers under her breath, she picked up the oars and began rowing the rickety boat quickly but quietly toward the far side of the Black Pearl. She could hear the sounds of a fight- the guns firing, the swords clashing, the men screaming- and the smells of blood and gunpowder mingled in the air.  
  
Kit pulled hard on the oars once more, and brought herself to a stop directly below the quarterdeck of the Pearl. She tossed the grappling hook up to catch on the rail and tugged on it. When it didn't give way, she started to climb.  
  
"Captain, it wasn't there!"  
  
"What do you mean, it wasn't there? It has to be there! That bastard of a captain probably hid it, that's all!"  
  
Kit held onto the rope and peered out at the scene before her. A mass of pirates were fighting on the deck, the Pearl's crew quite obviously winning over the Viper's, who for the most part were slightly intoxicated. She had just made it to the deck and had been about to climb over the rail when Sparrow and the other pirate had appeared; now she watched the exchange with half a smile, waiting for her chance.  
  
"Find it," Sparrow said firmly.  
  
"Aye, Captain," the other pirate said, and started back toward the Viper.  
  
Kit waited until his back was turned, then climbed quickly over the rail. As she got to her feet another wave of Viper crewmen swung onto the Pearl, brandishing weapons, and were quickly absorbed into the fight. Kit pulled a dagger from its sheath on her belt and crept quietly down the steps to the main deck, moving back into the shadows as soon she reached it. Sparrow was fighting one of the Viper's crewman a few yards ahead and Kit inched closer, taking care not to step out of the shadows until she was right there.   
  
Suddenly there was a dagger pressed to Jack's throat. "I got it," said a female voice behind him, and the man he had been fighting backed off with a nod. As soon as he was gone, Jack's attacker pushed him to face her, not removing the dagger. "Hello, Captain Sparrow," she said pleasantly, smiling. "What would you say... if I told you I knew where to find that map you're looking for?"  
  
Ok! I wrote it today cause I wanted to get something up before I go on vacation for a week, maybe more. And now to answer my awesome reviewers!! you guys kick arse!!  
  
Chelsey: Thanks! Glad you liked it. Much more to come!  
  
saxony: Thanks! Nope its not my first my other one's called The Past Is Never Gone which I'm working on too... hopefully I'll update that one when I get back.  
  
Vipera berus: Thanks! I was gonna make it longer but I wanted to post it and see how it went over first. I'll update again as soon as I can.   
  
Don't forget to review!!! 


	3. Agreements

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I don't pretend to own anything, I'm using this stuff without permission just for the amusement of anyone that reads this. Don't sue me.

Sorry this one took forever guys! I had really bad writer's block and I haven't been here that much anyway. Thanks for all the reviews! Hope you like this one too...

(End of last chapter: "What would you say... if I told you I knew where to find that map you're looking for?")

Jack immediately moved his sword from its immobile position at his side so it was pressed into the woman's stomach. She looked a little surprised for a moment, but her expression quickly melted into a grin. "I don't think you should be doing that..." she said, not making any attempt at moving away from the blade. "My bad side is the last place you want to be right now."

"I could say the same to you," Jack replied levelly. He was well aware of how this must look, Captain Jack Sparrow being caught off guard and having his life threatened by some strange scruffy pirate lass. "We're square. Now..." He trailed off expectantly.

"I have something that you want," she said simply, uncurling her arm from around his neck to draw her sword. "And I don't take kindly to threats..." With half a smile she removed the dagger from his throat and slipped it into a sheath on the worn leather belt that hung loosely around her hips. "But I do love a good fight. So." Twirling the sword between her fingers, she took a step back to the right of his blade and swung her own. The tip came within an inch of Sparrow's worn coat. Grinning widely, he pushed the sword back with his own and jabbed at her. In seconds their blades were flying.

"So, lass, what's your name?" Jack asked conversationally, as Kit sidestepped a blow and set up for a counterattack. She grinned.

"Not important." She whipped her sword around and a metal-on-metal clash rang out. "But call me Kit."

"Kit?" he repeated, lashing out with his own blade.

"Yes," she replied, gritting her teeth and leaning backwards to prevent herself from receiving a nasty gash on the forehead. "It'll make sense once you get to know me, provided that you live that long."

Jack laughed. "You aren't going to hurt me, love," he said. Kit arched an eyebrow and threw up her sword to block his attack.

"Oh?" she replied, sounding surprised. "What would give you that delusion?"

"You have the map, and you need me to get to the treasure. You won't hurt me because without me you'll never get there."

Kit grinned. "Are you implying that I don't know how to sail a ship, Captain?" She faked a blow to the right and swung to the left as he went to parry, slicing him in the shoulder. "Ah well, it doesn't matter. At any rate, you're wrong about all of it. Or most of it, anyway."

Jack gritted his teeth, his sword cutting fast arcs in the air while Kit parried and dodged. "Really? Well, isn't that interesting." There was a note of sarcasm in his voice. Kit grinned, ducking under a swing and retaliating with a jab of her own.

"Quite. I don't have the map at all, but I do know where to find it, something that you surely never will be able to say if you continue on trying to kill me like this." She grinned and her sword sliced through the air as Jack's flew up to meet it. He didn't answer, but jabbed at her again and the conversation ended as their swords flew and clashed more violently. As Kit stepped forward, Jack grinned and thrust his sword at her face as her own flew up to block it. Satisfied with the distraction, Jack took the opportunity to kick Kit's feet out from under her.

"Bloody hell!" she shouted angrily as she fell to the deck, her sword clattering uselessly away. She reached for it, muttering curses under her breath, but Jack's blade was at her throat. When she realized her situation, she narrowed her eyes and glowered up at him. "Damn you, Sparrow."

Jack was grinning, looking quite unperturbed. "You're not the first to say that, darling, I assure you, and you won't be the last. If this is the only way to subdue you, so be it. The fact is, you've caught my interest, so tell me about this map or I won't hesitate to cut your throat right here."

Kit scowled. "Oh, _darling_," she said sarcastically, "I don't need to be subdued, you know. If you wanted to know that badly..." She smirked and pushed the blade away from her throat. "You should have picked another way, because I'm not going to tell you and you're not, in fact, going to kill me because then you'll never find it."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jack said with a sarcastic smirk, pointing his blade back at her throat. Kit eyed it distastefully for a moment, then with a resigned sigh leaned back on her elbows and glanced up at Jack.

"That's all fine and good, but the truth of the matter is that nobody knows where this map is but me," she said, ignoring the irritated scowl he gave her. "The coordinates were on the Viper, but I took the paper, tore it up and threw it into the sea. And _now_, Captain Sparrow, you are quite stuck with me since I'm not going to tell you what that paper said and you don't have a prayer without the information."

"You did _what_?!?"

She glanced up at him with the same dull, irritated look that one might have while trying to teach physics to a toddler. "I took it from Barringer's quarters, read the coordinates, tore it up and threw it in the sea. I'm not a bloody idiot, Captain. Given the nature of our first meeting, would you allow me to stay on this ship if you weren't forced to? If I didn't have something worth taking a gamble on? Of course not. By daybreak the Viper and her crew are going to be severely damaged, quite possibly beyond repair. There's almost no hope for them and I knew that from the moment I saw your ship. I have no allegiance to those men, Captain Sparrow. I feel no obligation to go to my death with them. This is my way out, like it or not. Do you think I haven't heard the stories? If anyone can get to this treasure, it's you and your crew." By now she had gotten to her feet and was wiping the blade of her sword on her faded brown breeches while she talked. "Take me with you," she said. "I'll guide you to the map and the treasure, but I won't tell you the coordinates. You'll have to trust me. I'm sure you understand my reasoning. Once we find the treasure, give me an equal share and I'll be on my merry way." She slid her blade back into its sheath and smiled in an almost pleasant manner. "Do we have an accord?"

Jack ignored her outstretched hand and tilted his head back to look at her for a moment, skeptical. "Have you given me any reason at all to trust a single word you just said?" he asked rhetorically, perhaps more to himself than to her. She smirked knowingly at him.

"What does it matter, really? If you want that treasure you don't have a choice. So: do we or do we not have an accord?"

Jack continued to stare at her for another moment, but finally with a somewhat exasperated sigh he shook her hand. "Yes," he said, "We have an accord."

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	4. Planning

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I don't pretend to own anything, I'm using this stuff without permission just for the amusement of anyone that reads this. Don't sue me.  
  
(End of last chapter: Jack continued to stare at her for another moment, but finally with a somewhat exasperated sigh he shook her hand. "Yes," he said, "We have an accord.")

"But just for tonight, you'll be in the brig." For a split second he could see outrage flash in her eyes, but then it was gone and replaced by a coolly indifferent mask, and he continued. "By virtue of the fact that you're here at all you've provided more than enough evidence that you're both traitorous and destructive, and to put it quite bluntly it would be foolishly irresponsible of me _not_ to lock you up. I'm sure you understand. Ah, men?" Two scruffy men came up next to Kit and hoisted her up by her arms. Jack pressed his palms together and nodded his thanks, while Kit sighed quietly and shook her head.

"This is a mistake, Captain," she said dismissively, "That much I can assure you. The only thing you've accomplished is to give me time to plot my revenge." She smiled innocently at him as one of the men lifted the hatch. "I can take it from here, mate," she said pleasantly to him, "There's nowhere to run to anyhow. We'll let Captain Sparrow play his silly game." She smiled and glanced back up at the captain. "Sweet dreams!" He smirked at her as she disappeared below the deck, and as soon as she was out of sight let out an exaggerated sigh. Anamaria came up next to him with her hands on her hips and grinned.

"Lettin' another woman get the best of you, Jack? Shame, shame." She patted him on the shoulder and he smiled sarcastically back.

"Lest you forget, Ana, so long as you're a part of my crew you're under my orders," he reminded her. She sighed and put her arm around his shoulder, shaking her head.

"Sometimes I wonder if you'll ever learn. You may be a captain, Jack, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be able to control all of your crew. Especially her. Just let her be." She patted his shoulder and walked away without another word, leaving Jack to wonder whether she was being serious or just a pain in the ass.

In the brig, Kit watched the pirates clod up the stairs and sighed as she plopped down on the damp floor. "What a night," she said aloud, though there was nobody around to hear her save a few rats scurrying around the crates outside her cell. She took a knife out of her boot and began tossing it into the air. "Abandoned one crew, found another, and got myself a treasure map and a new ally/enemy all in one go..." She trailed off and frowned. "It'll be interesting to see which one he turns out to be." She looked over at the pair of glowing eyes that were staring at her from the other side of the room. "Well, you could be dinner at least," she said to it, glancing at her knife only to find that it was so dull it most likely couldn't cut even her own flesh. "And that will never do." She chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip and glanced around for some way to get to her effects, which were on the wall outside her cell, but finally realized that there was none. Bored, she eventually resigned herself to sleep.

"Awk! Rise and shine! Rise and shine!" A cow bell joined the parrot in an obnoxious cacophony at a distance of what seemed like three feet from her head, and she covered her ears with a loud groan before being able to bring herself to open her eyes. When she did, she found an older man outside her cell, staring at her, ringing the bell, with a multicolored parrot on his shoulder. He stopped abruptly when he saw that she was awake, and unlocked her cell without a word before walking away indifferently. Yawning, she picked up her dull knife, stuck it back in her boot and followed the man lazily up through the ship. He stopped at the Captain's Quarters, and before he could say anything the doors opened and Jack was smiling cheerily at them.

"Thank you, Cotton," he said, and the old man nodded and went back to work. Jack smiled again and glanced at Kit, who was looking at him suspiciously. "Beautiful day, isn't it? Care for some breakfast?" He opened the doors wider so she could see the food on the table. "Come, come. Sit down." He turned and motioned for her to follow him. She glanced from the food on the table back up to the pirate in front of her with a tinge of suspicion.

"Did you do this for me?"

Jack laughed. "No, no, dear. Well, in a way, but not exactly because there was in fact a lot of food on y- I mean, the Viper. Anyway, the reason why the food is here is not what I brought you here to discuss."

Kit picked up an orange and began peeling it with her dull-bladed dagger. "And what would that be then?" she asked, sounding mildly intrigued. Jack grinned and rose from the table to pull a thick, dusty volume from off one of his various bookshelves. Pushing dishes out of the way, he set it down on the table and peered meaningfully at her over the spotty leather.

"I want to discuss this treasure," he said.

"Ah," she said, taking a bite of her orange, and leaned forward with a grin. "What exactly about it do you want to talk about? History? Value? Danger? Preparations, perhaps? Time frame?"

Jack leaned backward, slouching comfortably in his chair, and cleared a space on the table for his booted feet. "Everything," he said simply, and selected an apple from the basket of fruit. "Tell me all there is to know."

Kit laughed and Jack frowned. "I don't know," she said, popping another orange section into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment and smiled. "But if I could spend some time with books and maps I believe I could make it all very simple indeed."

Jack gestured around, indicating the room at large. "By all means," he said. Kit glanced around, noting all the racks and shelves full of books and the maps stretched out on the walls.

"_Most_ excellent," she said with a grin. Swallowing the last piece of orange, she reached across the table and picked up the leather book. The cover was streaked with dust and grime, but when she opened it she found that the pages were very much intact. "Beautiful," she said quietly, more to herself than to Jack. Looking up, she found that he had removed himself from the table and was now putting on his coat. She watched him with curiosity; after having let her out of the brig less than an hour before, it didn't seem likely or even smart that he would suddenly trust her alone in his cabin with maps and valuables and all his personal belongings. As if reading her mind, he paused in smoothing out the wrinkles and smirked at her.

"Don't worry love, I'm not leaving you unsupervised. The doors will be open all day and the crew will be on deck. If you cause any trouble, I will not hesitate to shoot you personally. Are we clear on that?"

"Aye, Captain." He smiled.

"Good. Well, good luck." He tipped his hat to her and wobble-sashayed out the door, and she turned her full attention to the book in front of her. She had a lot of studying to do.

The sun had nearly set when Kit emerged from his cabin and hoisted herself up on the rail, squinting into the horizon, a bottle of whiskey in her hand. She looked tired and a little ruffled, but somewhat pleased nonetheless. "We need to go to Tortuga," she said. Jack frowned a little.

"Oh?" he said. She swallowed a mouthful of whiskey and nodded.

"Aye. I need more extensive maps. I need more information. I need to talk to some people I know there and see if they can help us out. We're going to need everything we can get for this one." She sighed and held the bottle at arms length for a moment before tipping it back and taking another swig.

"Alright, Tortuga it is then. Just be sure it's worth my while to go all that way out of the way," he glanced meaningfully at her, "Savvy?"

"Savvy."

Yay! I finally finished it sorry it took forever I have really bad writers block and it's not going away but I'm still trying! I think it's getting better at least. Don't forget to review!


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